New Jersey has become the first state to pass a bill to ban the hydraulic fracturing method. Otherwise called fracking, the highly destructive technique is used to extract natural gas from rock formations called shales. Gas companies have been accused of contaminating the water supply with the use of toxic chemicals.
All the legislation needs now is the signature of Governor Chris Christie to become law. The vote in the state senate was 31-1 and the assembly was 56-11.
State senator Bob Gordon (D-Bergen) said New Jersey has now "sent a strong message to surrounding states and to the nation that a ban on fracking is necessary to protect public health."
Gordon added:
"Any benefits of gas production simply do not justify the many potential dangers associated with fracking such as pollution to our lakes, streams and drinking water supplies, and the release of airborne pollutants. We should not wait until our natural resources are destroyed to act."
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